Do you watch every move they make? Do you know their friends? Do you ensure they have safe places to play, go to school, and hang out?

I did. But my son Joseph Adetula is dead. He was the victim of a drive-by shooting. He was only eighteen years old, and no one knows why he was killed, or who did it. We may never know.

He was one of thousands of American teenagers and children killed every year in acts of violence.

I can't bring my son back. No one can.

But I can make things better for other children in our community, and so can you.

Today, when you look out your window, what do you see? Are your streets clean, well-kept, and filled with happy children playing, riding bikes, and having fun?

Or are they dark and depressing places, with weeds and trash everywhere, suspicious looking teenagers, and not a child in sight?

If you live in the first sort of neighborhood, you should count yourself fortunate. Many children in our city live in the second type of neighborhood. Some don't feel safe when they play outside. Others have family problems: single working parents, alcoholic or drug-addicted parents, or severe poverty.

Regardless of who these children are, they are all our children. It is our responsibility, as the adults of the community, to show them what they can be some day, to give them pride in their community, and to guide them as they become the new adults of all our tomorrows.

How You Can Help

Drive through the poorer neighborhoods of town and look around. Open your eyes. You may see run-down, dangerous playgrounds. You may see parks with not a single patch of green. You might see garbage on the streets, or weeds growing through old broken sidewalks.

What does this do to the children who live in this environment every single day?

Pay attention to the children, too. Are they happy and motivated? Do they do well in school, stay out of trouble, go to college to make better lives for themselves? Or are they dropping out to raise children or get jobs at fast-food restaurants and factories?

We can't fix the adults in our neighborhoods. But we can do things to show the children that we care, we are there for them, and we are willing and able to guide them. We can be role models. And we can all care for our city's children by giving them a better environment in which to thrive.

To do this in our world today, we need money. Money fixes the playgrounds, grows flowers and grass in the parks, picks up the trash and repairs the sidewalks. And money provides the children who would otherwise drop out with the places to go, things to do, and extra help and motivation that will get them to stay in school and make their lives everything we hope for them.

If you can't give today, at least look around and see the need. You can help today by being a good example, and by encouraging the children already in your life. But when you can, give to the Joseph Adetula Foundation. We are a 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1) under the National Heritage Foundation corporation, so your donations are tax-deductible. And even a little bit will help.

Dear friends of Joseph Adetula Foundation,
We're excited to announce a brand new way that you can support Joseph Adetula Foundation!
A rewarding choice for everyone.
When you apply for and use the new FREE Joseph Adetula Foundation Platinum® Visa Rewards Card,
the bank will donate $50 and a percentage of all your future purchases on the card to Joseph Adetula Foundation!
The more of us who participate, the bigger the impact we can make.
All the benefits of a Platinum® Visa Rewards Card will be yours, along with the
satisfaction of showing your support of Joseph Adetula Foundation's mission every time you use your card.
Apply now and earn points at hundreds of online and neighborhood retailers plus
bonus points at select merchants. Redeem your points for travel, merchandise and more.
Visa Reward
Sincerely,
Dayo Adetula
Founder
Joseph Adetula Foundation

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Hand signs used by gang members to identify their membership or to antagonize members of other gangs.

Gang Signs

Joseph Adetula Foundation A memorial Park Bench with names of crime victims to serve as a memorial to victims of homicide, provide a place of solace for survivors and express the collective sorrow of our community for the loss of each person as a result of violent crime. Behind the names of the victims are stories of loved ones. After headlines fade, these victims are sometimes forgotten by all but their families. It is important that we remember the victims, tell their stories and show their faces.

Make the Check out to Park Friends, mail to Tulsa County Park Department, 2315 Charles Page Blvd, Tulsa, Ok. 74127. Please note on the check that it is for the park tree and bench at 56th & Cinn.

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